The Henningham surname is most likely taken from the name of a village in England called Hevingham, near the city of Norwich in Norfolk county, but there are other towns of similar names in England. The Saxon word "Ham" meant village', and the Old Norse word "Hami" similarly referred to 'homestead'. It is the suffix ham that leads one to believe that Henningham was originally a habitation name.

Henningham Early Origins

The surname Henningham was first found in Norfolk at Hevingham, a village and civil parish in the union of Aylsham, hundred of South Erpingham. The first record of the place name was found in the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was listed as Heuincham [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) and literally meant "homestead of the family or followers of a man called Hefa," from the Old English personal name + "-inga" + "ham." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) "Hevingham formerly belonged to the bishops of Norwich, one of whom, Walter de Suffield, in 1250 built a palace here, no trace of which now remains. " [3]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Henningham Spelling Variations

Henningham Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Henningham are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Henningham include: Heningham, Henyngham, Hevenyngham, Heveningham, Henygham, Henningham and many more.

Henningham Early History

Henningham Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Henningham research. Another 257 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1498, 1601, 1414, 1547, 1604, 1678, 1640 and 1653 are included under the topic Early Henningham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Henningham Early Notables (pre 1700)

Henningham Early Notables (pre 1700)

Notables of the family at this time include Sir John Hevenyngham, who was knighted in 1414 at Bury St. Edmunds; Sir John Henyngham who was knighted at the Tower of London by King Edward IV; Sir Anthony Henygham was knighted in 1547 by King Edward...

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Henningham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Henningham In Ireland

Henningham In Ireland

Some of the Henningham family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Henningham or a variant listed above: Jacob Hevingh, who arrived in New York in 1646; William Henning who settled in Virginia in 1654; Paul Henning, who arrived in New York city in 1750; Thomas Henning, who came to Maryland in 1731.

Contemporary Notables of the name Henningham (post 1700)

Contemporary Notables of the name Henningham (post 1700)

John Henningham, Professor of Journalism at the University of Queensland in Australia, and author of "Institutions in Australian Society" and other works of Political Science

The Henningham Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Henningham Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.